Visual disorder by geriatric patients as a nursing problem

Due to aging, the incidence of chronic degenerative eye diseases increases. The most common visual diseases include cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Visual impairment reduces the patient's quality of life and therefore requires a special approach by nursing staff. A hospital stay can be one of the most difficult situations for such a patient, because he suddenly finds himself in a foreign environment. Being aware of everyday problems and needs, and the principles of communication is a beneficial element in providing quality nursing care. The aim of the bachelor thesis is to map the specifics of the approach to geriatric patients with visual impairment in nursing care. The empirical part was processed using a qualitative research survey, which was conducted in the form of a semi-structured interview. The research sample consisted of 10 informants older than 60 years suffering from various visual disorders. The obtained results showed that all informants were able to come to terms with the visual impairment and learn to live with it. Most informants underwent visual surgery and their visual impairment was much reduced, but some informants became more difficult after the operation. Certain requirements were directed mainly at the specifics of communication. Informants reported slight shortcomings in the verbal and nonverbal communication of nursing staff. A positive finding was that the informants consider the quality of the provided nursing services and information to be equivalent to that of persons without visual illness and evaluated the provided care as generally positive. The work provides a comprehensive view of the issue of visual disorders in geriatric age. The results can serve nurses in practice, but also students of medical and non-medical medical disciplines in preparation for future professions. Based on the obtained materials, an information brochure on cataracts and glaucoma was also created